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Associated Press
TOKYO — The crew of the U.S. submarine that collided with a Japanese fishing vessel may have shown "grave negligence" by surfacing despite having detected a ship in the area, a top Japanese government official said today.
The reaction from the Japanese government came a day after U.S. investigators said the USS Greeneville spotted a ship in the area more than an hour before the Feb. 9 accident. Nine Japanese are missing and presumed dead.
"The U.S. submarine made a sudden surfacing despite the detection of a boat — that indicates grave negligence," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said. "We take it as a grave matter, and we must take measures on our own," he added without elaborating.
Fukuda said his government looked forward to a full account of the causes of the accident and that Tokyo would push for "strict disciplinary steps on the U.S. side" if necessary.
Evidence that a crewman who was plotting sonar readings on the submarine was distracted by civilian guests and halted his work also drew criticism today in Japan, where many have been outraged that civilians were allowed in the sub’s control room.
"It is extremely regrettable," Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori was quoted by Kyodo News service and national broadcaster NHK as telling reporters. "It is quite natural that we should ask the United States government for a thorough investigation."
A group of family members of the missing headed to Tokyo today to visit with Mori and present him with a list of requests, including a joint U.S.-Japan recovery of the sunken vessel, punishment for those responsible for the accident and an apology from the submarine commander.
The group was also expected to go to the U.S. Embassy to meet with Ambassador Thomas Foley.
The U.S. envoy made a personal apology for the accident yesterday during a 15-minute farewell meeting with Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace.
An Imperial Palace spokesman who declined to be named quoted Foley as saying that the United States will make every possible effort to determine the causes of the accident and search for the nine Japanese who were lost.
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